MPI officials shared the following statistics about the impact of marijuana use among teenagers:

Teenagers addicted to marijuana take the drug about 10 to 20 times per day.

They usually have a regular schedule of use and will openly admit to relying on marijuana, especially when they are nervous, anxious or cannot sleep.

Marijuana use can cause problems with school, work, family and other relationships for adolescents.

According to the initiative, marijuana use appears to damage brain development in teenagers. There are several critical growth phases of the brain. In the fetus, between ages zero to five, and the adolescence years.

The pre-frontal Cortex is still developing during adolescence from age 12 to 25. This area of the brain is responsible for reason, logic, problem-solving, planning and memory. MRI officials said it plays an important role in your attention span, planning abilities, and impulse control.

There is plenty of psychiatry research, neuroimaging and data to support this theory, said MRI officials. More teenagers are also using marijuana than alcohol between ages 12 to 17 in county-funded drug treatment. The majority of teens get their marijuana from a friend, relative or family member.

Between 2012 and 2015, the number of marijuana exposure cases gradually increased, according to the California Poison Control Center.

Currently, illegal marijuana dispensaries can be found in several areas of Lemon Grove, according to school officials. Some are even located along the routes many students use to walk to school.

"I really think, just like alcohol, our kids shouldn’t have access to it," added Saldana. "I learned a lot. It was very informative."

Local marijuana dispensaries will be able to sell the drug to anyone over age 18, even without a medical prescription, starting on Jan. 1. This has left some school officials and parents alarmed that students could be more easily exposed to the drug.